Please Remember
by MirrorFlower and DarkWind
Summary: Arthur noticed that Merlin is missing three days after his wedding. When he finds out the truth how will he react and will he ever see Merlin again? or is Merlin lost to him forever. Seqel to Loneliness.


**Kaliane: **Well I just couldn't leave Loneliness hanging so I decided to do a sequel that and I hope it breaks me out of my writers block. That thing is killing me I got 12 days to finish an original story I am writing or else I am mad at myself ugh. Well I hope you all enjoy this little story!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Merlin and no matter what I do I never will.

**Please Remember**

Three days! Three days without Merlin showing himself at any of the council meetings! I knew I shouldn't have let him return to his tower that night! I…I should have know that something was wrong with him that day. He was too…quiet. He had even called me Sire but I was too caught up in Guinevere. In the day we finally married. To caught up in my own happiness to see Merlin's…loneliness.

"Arthur, what is it," Guinevere, my sweet queen asked, gently laying her hand on my shoulder. I turned to her, smiling as I watched the light from the sun make her glow like an angel.

"Nothing to trouble yourself over, my Queen," I said, stealing a quick kiss.

"Arthur, you can tell me anything. I am your Queen now," she said, smiling as she took my hands in her own, squeezing them reassuringly. "I won't judge you, you should know that."

"I know, Gwen," I sighed, looking down at the floor gathering my thoughts before looking into her dark eyes. "It's Merlin."

"What about Merlin?" she asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "I haven't seen him…since we got married."

"That's the problem," I said, sighing as I pulled away from Guinevere. "The day after our wedding we had a council meeting, Merlin never showed up. I figured he was just lost in some dusty old spell book he found and didn't think twice about it. But no one, not even Lancelot, Gwaine or the newly returned Morgana have seen him since out wedding."

"That's…unusually even for Merlin. He always finds some time to spend with you," Guinevere says as she started to pace the room. Probably trying to think of reasons as to why Merlin was acting this way. "Are you positive that Morgana hasn't seen Merlin? They have been close since her return." I pushed down the jealousy at her words, no matter how true they were. Ever since Merlin had…convinced Morgana to return the two have been close. Closer than before. Closer than Merlin and I are or were before.

"She hasn't seen him, I asked her myself earlier this morning," I sighed, leaning back to sit on the chair. "I have no idea why he would be hiding in that blasted his tower."

"It could be because of our wedding," Gwen said, a sad smile on her face. I looked up at her, confused. How could our wedding be the reason Merlin has locked himself in his tower? He was happy for us, he said so himself.

"How could it be our wedding? He was happy for us," I asked, studying Guinevere. She stood before me nervously her hands fidgeting with the skirts of her new dresses, pulling at it as her eye's glistened with unshed tears.

"Arthur, can you not see that that is the reason? He was happy for _you_. Happy _you _found your happiness," she said, a single tear falling from her face. I looked up at her, feeling even more confused then before. "Arthur, he loves you. He has always loved you, even back when he was your manservant and you didn't know he was a Warlock or Dragonlord."

"Guinevere Merlin does not love me, I would know if he did," I said, smiling at Guinevere, my angel and my queen sadly. She was the only one who knew of my…feelings for my Court Sorcerer just as I knew of her love for Lancelot. If Merlin had loved me I would have seen it, Merlin was never a good liar, even now. I would have been able to tell. But…then again I didn't see the loneliness in his eyes that day…not until three days later.

"Arthur, sometimes you are so blind," Guinevere said, floating to my side, pulling my face into her hands. "I believe this is just like the time when he didn't tell you of his Magic but you found out. He cannot or will not burden you with his feelings. He believes that you love me more than the world. More than him. He was there at our wedding; he saw how you never looked away from me."

"That was just so I would see the happiness in his eyes. I do love you Gwen," I said, holding my feeling back as I ran my hand over Excalibur. The one thing that Merlin gave me that I never went without.

"As I love you. You needed a Queen, Arthur I am more than happy to fill that roll but we both know we are not each other soul mates. Lancelot is mine just as Merlin is your own," Gwen wisely said, a smile on her face. "And Arthur…I saw Merlin that day…there was no happiness in his eyes."

"What was there then?"

"The remains of his soul," a voice near the door answered. I turned, drawing Excalibur and pushing Guinevere behind me, relaxing when I saw it was Morgana. Only my most trusted knights and Morgana knew of Guinevere's and my agreement to marry even if we did not love each other that way.

"What are you talking about, Morgana?" I asked, keeping Excalibur out, my knuckles white. The remains of his soul…Merlin couldn't be that broken up about my marriage to Gwen. She was his friend too.

"You asked what was in Merlin's eyes the day you got 'married' I just said what I saw," Morgana breezed into the room, smiling at her friend as she sat down, her blue dress bringing out her grey eyes, her long brown black hair left free for the day. "He was broken. I think he was feeling lonelier then ever…even me when I thought I was the only one for these powers when Uther was still alive."

"He shouldn't feel lonely, he has his friends, magic is free and he doesn't need to hide anymore," I said, pacing the room once more, a strange magic forcing its way threw Excalibur calming me. It was strange I could have sworn I had felt this magic before.

"He doesn't have the one thing that he wants. You," Morgana said, placing everything for me to see. "He is breaking apart for that reason alone."

"Go see him Arthur," Gwen said, her face heartbreakingly sad. "Go see him before he does anything stupid."

I nodded, looking back at the two women that meant the most to me in the world before running towards Merlin's tower. I thought back to our conversation that day. How could I have been so stupid! Merlin was hurting…I saw it in his eyes when I looked at him the one time…after I married Guinevere. I should have told him I didn't love Guinevere, I should have told him of our agreement. I felt the dread spread though my body as I pushed myself harder, trying to reach Merlin's tower, ignoring everyone in my way.

"Merlin!" I shouted as I reached the tower, throwing the door open. I looked around all the table surfaces were covered in bottles, some filled and some empty, books, spell books probably, and sheets of paper with Merlin's writing on them. The bed was perfect as if no one had slept in it at all, the only thing on it was his first spell book given to him by Gaius. I looked around the room again, seeing no signs of Merlin anywhere in the room.

"Where could he be?" I wondered, my grip tightening around Excalibur who I had not sheathed yet. I turned back to his bed, noticing for the first time that the spell book was open to a page. "What were you reading Merlin?"

I walked over towards his bed, looking at the spell book. Not for the first time I was thankful that Merlin had taught me to read the old tongue. I looked over the spell, feeling my blood freeze. This…it…it was dark magic. The type of Magic that Merlin had never done before…or at least had never told me about. It…it required for the caster to kill someone to place their soul into an object….Merlin…Merlin wouldn't do this. Would he?

"Merlin…why? Why would you do this," I asked, as a single tear fell from my eyes.

_Why shouldn't I have,_ I heard Merlin's voice echo thought he room. I opened my eyes, looking around feeling the hope inside of me only for it to be crushed when I was met with an empty room.

"Merlin…I… I had thought you knew that I didn't care for Gwen in that way. I was an idiot, a prat even. Gods Merlin, how could you do this," I asked the empty room, feeling silly for doing it but needed to get my emotions out before they overwhelmed me.

_At least you can admit you are a part,_ I hear Merlin's voice once again.

"Merlin? Are you here?" I asked, feeling the flicker of hope once again.

_Of course I am you prat. I made a promise to myself that I would always protect you. Nothing changes that promise, _Merlin said.

"Merlin…where are you? Why can't I see you?"

_You can't see me because my body is gone. I am technically dead._

"You…you did that spell didn't you? The spell I read in your book. How could you be such an idiot! How could you do the spell! Did you have any idea how worried I was over you! How afraid I was that something happened to you!"

_It was the only thing that could free me from my loneliness. You have a Queen now and Morgana can protect you. You no longer need me._

"Merlin! Are you really that much of an idiot! I need you I will always need you and I don't love Guinevere!" I yelled, eyes traveling around the room, trying desperately to find where his voice was coming from.

_ Don't lie to me, Arthur. I saw how happy you were on your wedding. Everyone could see the love you two share for each other. It is something special…something that is sacred. I did not want to ruin it…to see the end so…I removed myself form the picture. You loved her in a way you could never love me. I have accepted that. _

"Merlin! I love you! I have always loved you! Guinevere just married me because I need a Queen! She loved Lancelot! All the knights know that, hell even Morgana knows that! I love you, you idiot and now…and now you went and did this," I said, fighting back the tears. I would not allow them to fall…I wouldn't let him see how much he has broken me.

_Arthur, _Merlin whispered, shocked. I opened my eyes, feeling the same magic I had earlier when I was with Guinevere. Excalibur was before me, floating on its own. I watched amazed as the blade Merlin had blessed with Dragon fire shimmered in the light before taking on the shape of a man. A man I knew all to well.

"Merlin?" I asked confused, my hand reached out to grasp his arm…to make sure he was really there with me.

_The one and only, _Merlin laughed, his eyes shinning for the first time in weeks. Since...since before I had announced my engagement and marriage to Guinevere.

"You put your soul into Excalibur?"

_I had to make sure that I would be there to protect you, _Merlin said, blushing slightly.

"Is…is there any way to reverse the spell?" I asked, knowing already that there wouldn't be. That spell…the dark magic…it was a one time spell. I knew more then anyone else that for a life to be saved a life had to be given up in return. Merlin would never allow anyone to die for him.

_ You know the answer to that, _Merlin said, smiling sadly.

"Is this…goodbye? Can you never return?" I asked, feeling the tears from earlier return. This was all my fault…if I had just told him the plan from the beginning…then maybe.

_Prat. I am one with Excalibur, my soul, all of my magic and what makes me Merlin is in this sword. I can never separate myself from Excalibur again…but as long as you are not using the sword I can be here in this form. _Merlin explained, smiling brightly once again.

I smiled back, reaching out for him only to stop short. What if I couldn't touch him…what if he was beyond my reach. I would not be able to stand it if that was the case.

_Arthur?_ Merlin asked, walking towards my side. I tensed up, waiting to feel just a breeze, or a gust of wind when he raised his hand to touch my shoulder. I jumped when I felt a warm hand land on my shoulder.

"What? How?"

_My body disappeared, Arthur. It isn't laying dead somewhere. I can still touch you and you can touch me. I am here…as much as I can be,_ he said, smiling.

"Idiot, you should have come to me. You shouldn't have cast this spell," I said, allowing a single tear to fall.

_It was the only thing I could think to do that would end my suffering, _he said, shrugging.

"No more suffering. You will remain by my side, as Excalibur, Court Sorcerer and my one true soul mate," I said, smirking as I pulled Merlin close, covering his lips with my own.

This may not have been what I wanted. I didn't want Merlin to have to 'die' but he was still here with me. He was by my side and even when he did the spell…he never left me. I would protect his soul now…he was Mine. My sorcerer, my love and my sword. Together we would protect Camelot. Together our names would go down in history. Together we would stay. Forever.

**The End**

**Kaliane: **Well that took longer to write then thought it would. I had to fight the writers block to whole time but it was worth it. I hope any of you who made it to the end liked it. Please remember to review.


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